Spark of Vengeance
by EnigmaticAssassin
Summary: Alexandria, 48 BCE. After the death of her son, Khemu, Aya has returned to Alexandria to mourn, living with her cousin Phanos the Younger. It is here where she also begins the hunt for Actaeon, a member of the Order of the Ancients. Will she succeed in finding him? Please read and review!


I stood on the outer wall of the Palace of Alexandria, just as the moon was rising, quietly examining the residence of a member of the mysterious Order of the Ancients from afar. Within that elegantly designed building, a man so vile and vicious lived within those walls. According to Apollodorus, this man was the man who informed Khemu's murderers to accompany the Pharaoh to Siwa. His name was Actaeon.

 _Surprising to see the walls not as guarded_ , I thought, as I spat on the ground. I looked down from the wall, at the entrance to Actaeon's quarters. A man wearing hulking armor was standing guard. In front of me was a long, tight rope leading to the roof of his quarters. I let out a deep breath, and began to make my way across the rope. Careful not to fall off the rope, I held out my arms to balance myself as I traversed across the courtyard. I felt relieved as soon as my left foot landed on the roof. I paced across the roof, looking for an alternate entrance.

 _Fuck. How will I get to this neket iadet? There's got to be another entrance._

I looked beside the rope, and scoured for any windows. After seeing none, I made my way to the northern side of the building, and looked downwards. None. Growing a little disgruntled, I walked over to the southern side of the building, and again looked down. I smiled upon seeing the window opening below me. I smiled, and slid down onto the wall, and grasped the window ledge, and quietly leaped into the building. Ahead of me were stairs, leading downstairs. To my right, sat a table with several scrolls on it. To my left, was a man with gray and brown hair, who was sleeping. I approached the table, and spied a scroll with the Snake's seal on it. I quietly broke the seal, and began to read the letter.

 _Vulture,_

 _The journey to Siwa was somewhat of a success. We did indeed discover the fabled vault underneath the Temple of Amun. We captured the local 'medjay' in order to extract information about the vault and how it was supposed to open. We gave the Medjay until we got back from distracting Ptolemy's to open the vault, or his son would get it. He did not open it upon our return, and a skirmish ensued, where the Medjay pulled a blade on me. I resisted, and thrust the blade with his hand still on it, into the chest of his son. Had he told us information, all of this calamity would not have happened. Until then, we will keep searching for a way to get into the vault in Siwa, all with an angry medjay after us._

 _Tell Ktesos, your guard, about this news as well._

 _Go in peace, Brother._

 _Lion._

Fighting back tears, I rolled up the scroll. I turned around, to see Actaeon standing up behind me, wearing his burgundy sleeping robes.

"YOU ARE A MONSTER!" I shouted, holding my shorter blade to his throat. "You sent masked men to our village to search for a vault, which led to them kidnapping my husband and killing my only son! What have you got to say for yourself, you nek?"

"Call me what you like, Egyptian." Actaeon replied snidely. "But I shall inform you of this. I had no knowledge of the acts the men performed in Siwa."

He followed it up with a snide smile. Blinded by rage and not wanting to anger myself further, I ran my blade across his throat. I watched as he fell to the ground, beginning to choke on his own blood. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head. He was finally dead.

"May Apep devour your heart in the afterlife." I muttered.

I walked over to his table, and snatched the scroll I had read earlier. My attention was diverted by the sound of clanking armor coming up the stairs. I quickly leaped out the window, and began to climb for the roof. I was about to approach the top, and felt a large hand wrap around my left ankle, trying to pull me back into the room. I looked down to see a man wearing one of those sickening masks. With my returning anger, I struck him in the face with my free foot several times until his grip was released. I then quickly darted up to the rooftop, and across the rope, exiting the Palace of Alexandria successfully, with Actaeon dead.

* * *

I quietly made it back to my home, under the cover of darkness. I climbed up the side, maneuvering my way from ledge to ledge, until I made it to the top. I looked down at the marvelous open roof, which served as an alternate entrance to my home. I walked up to the ledge and descended down into the courtyard. As soon as I landed, I turned around to place the Actaeon's royal scroll on the table. But before I could, I felt a pair of hands shove me fiercely to the ground, which caused me to drop the royal scroll I had found at Actaeon's home. I placed my hand on my mouth, noticing that I was bleeding from my bottom lip. I turned around to see a brutish man, much taller than I, tower over me, wearing one of those despicable masks. I got up and confronted him. It was the man I encountered in Actaeon's home. He must've followed me without my knowing.

"Ktesos." I spat at him. "Get the hell out of my home, scum."

Ktesos stood there, breathing heavily.

"I'm not leaving until I finish my job, harlot." He retorted, his voice muffled by the mask. "Actaeon will be avenged!"

He quickly drew out his sword, and lunged at me, swinging wildly at me twice. I rolled out of the way, unsheathing my dual blades. I charged at him, landing a flurry of shots at his midsection, before landing a shot that removed his mask, leaving a cut going across his face. The cut didn't seem to bother him, as he picked me up with incredible strength, and threw me into the wall. I could feel my head snap back and hit the wall. I landed on the ground with a thud. Dazed, I tried to reach for my weapons, to which Ktesos kicked to the other side of the room. He hoisted me up by my neck, and pinned me against the wall. My scratching of his forearm and kicking of his midsection didn't help either.

"How ironic. The mother will take a trip to the afterlife in the same fashion as her son."

 _Khemu...I will not fail you._

I screamed loudly, and kicked him in the groin. He let out a groan, and dropped me, immediately clutching his crotch area. I scrambled across the floor, reaching for my blades. I succeeded in acquiring them. I rushed towards Ktesos and began to slash away at his midsection, each cut leaving a stain of blood on the ground. Ktesos fell down to one knee, and backtracked further into my house. I stabbed his mask, and lifted it with my smaller blade. I approached him, and knelt beside him.

"Your blood, for my Khemu." I whispered into his ear, before quickly thrusting the blade and mask into his face, and threw it aside. I dusted myself off, and dragged the corpse of Ktesos to the corner of the room. I walked out into the courtyard, and climbed up onto the roof, to eagerly tell Apollodorus of my victories.

* * *

I made it to the estate of Apollodorus in the late morning of the next morning. A residence southeast of Alexandria that could almost suffice as a small village, with a small palace at the top, almost befitting a Pharaoh. As a matter of fact, Cleopatra, my boss, lived within the estate's walls during her exile. After the guards let me pass, Apollodorus turned around, and smiled upon seeing me.

"Aya!" Apollodorus greeted me, with open arms. "What brings you to my residence on this bright morning?"

"Names." I replied sternly. A stern look came across the face of Apollodorus as I said the word.

"Come with me." Apollodorus replied, leading me into his house. "I'm sure Cleopatra wants to hear these names."

I nodded my head curtly, as Apollodorus led me through the passages of his house. After going up a couple of flights of stairs, I saw an elegantly dressed woman, bathing herself in Ra's rays. She ran her hands through her black wig as she turned around.

"Hello Aya." Cleopatra greeted me, as I bowed my head. "What brings you to my chambers this morning?"

Apollodorus coughed.

"I have names, my Queen." I replied sternly. "Names responsible for the death of my son."

"Who may they be, Aya?" She questioned me, sitting upright in her chair. "Tell me everything."

"I discovered that Actaeon was a member of the Order of the Ancients, the Order responsible for the death of my son. Once Apollodorus informed me of his role within the order, I infiltrated his house, and brought him to an end, by way of slicing his throat. While I was there, I took this scroll, giving me more information about what happened that fateful day. It from an unknown person called the Lion. Upon arriving back at my house, I was ambushed by Ktesos, one of his goons. After a long fight, I slew him, and made my way here."

Cleopatra stroked her chin. Apollodorus turned around to face me.

"An informant of mine in the city has told me that Gennadios, the Phylakitai of Alexandria, is after you, and wants you dead." He said sternly with a cautious look on his face. "He's been pulling innocent people out into the streets and beating them for information on you, fro what I have heard."

"That means I would have to go into hiding then." I replied, approaching him.

"Have no fear, Aya. I have you covered." Apollodorus reassured me. "Meet me by the base of the amphitheater in Alexandria this afternoon, and I will tell all."

I bowed my head to both Cleopatra and Apollodorus, and took my leave, heading back to Alexandria.

* * *

I arrived at the amphitheater at high noon, and stopped for a few moments to view the play written about Serapis by my cousin Phanos. While I was viewing the play, I saw a man down the road with a scorpion shield on his back.

Apollodorus, I thought, as I walked along the downward road, in the direction of the lighthouse. He leaped onto a small patch of grass above him, and stood waiting patiently. I climbed up the small wall, as Apollodorus turned around, with a large smile on his face.

"Greetings, Aya. Glad you could make it." He greeted me, as we stood before a barred door. "This is my former safe house. You can now use this place to hide from Gennadios and his Phylakitai." He stated, as he handed me the key. "There is an alternate entrance, not too far away from the Great Library. It is a bit of a drop, however."

I placed my hand on the shoulder of Apollodorus, and patted him on the back.

"Thank you, Apollodorus. For everything."

He nodded his head approvingly. I inserted the key into the lock of the door, and opened the door. It creaked a little bit as I opened it.

"Wait." I heard the voice of Apollodorus from behind me. I turned around to meet his look.

"You should be informed that everything you'll need is in there. From important scrolls to weapons, they will be there."

I returned a curt nod towards him as I closed the door, locking it behind me. I let out a deep breath, and made my way down the long corridors underneath Alexandria, to my new hideout.

Arriving at the end of the tunnel, I was taken aback by what I saw. Before me, there were six elegantly carved statues supporting the roof of the hideout. Along the walls of the hideout were shelves containing scrolls, about five shelves high. Torches illuminated the den, giving off a vibrant glow. In the center of the room, there were two long tables adorned with a red cloth in the center, extending across the table. I looked over to the far right hand corner, and saw several weapons, ranging from bows to spears, and everything in between. Instead of touring the hideout some more, I sat down at the table, grabbed a quill and a piece of papyrus, and began to write to my love Bayek, about what happened yesterday.


End file.
